Office Work Research Articles

Workspace for female telecommuters living in an urban apartment house with children

AbstractWFH‐related issues regarding house planning, spatial arrangements, and relationships among cohabitants for sharing spaces remain to be clarified. This research aimed to clarify the usage patterns of shared spaces for work‐from‐home (WFH) and the respective behavioral patterns in different household compositions, targeting women in the child‐rearing stage and residing with family in residential building estates in urban areas. Forty‐four percent (n = 199) of women performing childcare who regularly telecommuted had a spouse or partner who also telecommuted, and 65.6% (n = 328) had a child at home while telecommuting. Male spouses or partners (male) did less than half of the housework (12.7%) and childcare (19.8%) than women (41.0% housework, 34.4% childcare). Women primarily used dining rooms for office work (n = 221; 44.2%). When the children were at home during telecommuting, the unclear distinction between work and home was not a deficiency but rather an inevitable acceptance, and a tendency to work in a corner overlooking the common area was observed. When both spouses telecommute without children, men work in their bedrooms or private rooms, whereas women work in common areas, such as the dining room. Simultaneously, women tended to seek spaces dedicated to their work and keep their workspaces separate from common area.

Донорское движение в Москве в 1950–1970-е гг.: по документам Центрального государственного архива города Москвы

The article is devoted to a little-studied topic in Russian research circles - the history of gratuitous blood donation in the capital under the auspices of the Moscow City Committee of the Red Cross Society (MCC RCRS) in 1950-1970s. The donor movement for several decades has come a long way from spontaneously initiated events to the formation of a sustainable community of donors with its traditional actions, support and motivation system. The work actualizes the problem of development of the sectoral sphere of volunteer efforts application - gratuitous blood donation - from the historical point of view. The systematic and planned development of the donor movement of the MCC RCRS allowed to increase the donor activity of the capital's population, to form the ideology of socially significant practice with its key principles and the culture of responsible behavior of citizens. The MCC RCRS used a wide arsenal of organizational forms of social mobilization of citizens on a voluntary basis to attract the attention of the capital's residents to the problems of regularity and gratuitousness of donations. The article describes the measures of social support of donors that proved their effectiveness in practice. The joint activity of the MCC RCRS, district committees and primary branches with blood services, health care institutions in close contact with the authorities was the key to the successful fulfillment of the planned obligations to involve Soviet citizens in the ranks of gratuitous donors of the capital in the 1950-1970s. The empirical basis of the study was formed by the archival materials of the Central State Archive of Moscow, many of which the author introduces into scientific circulation for the first time. Of particular interest is the office work documentation of the MCC RCRS (transcripts, reports, annual activity reports, orders, circulars, decisions and resolutions), diverse in nature and content. The methodological basis for a comprehensive study was the principles of systematicity, historicism, objectivity, as well as the integrated use of a wide range of sources, generally accepted in historical science, which allowed us to consider the development of the gratuitous donor movement in Moscow in the conditions of specific-historical determinism, social conditionality and consistency of its design. Taking into account the historical experience of development of gratuitous donation is relevant nowadays in the process of solving both modern and prospective problems of the Russian health care system. Besides, it is in demand by the All-Russian public movement "Medical Volunteers" and the Russian Red Cross in the conditions of implementation of volunteer programs, volunteer initiatives and projects of development of the domestic blood service.

민간경비 발전을 위한 공동주택 경비원 제도 개선방안

In Korea, the private security industry, along with the police in charge of public security, plays an important part in maintaining social order and preventing crime. The private security industry is also developing along with economic growth, but the reality is that there are insufficient parts in terms of quality. Among the facility guards who perform most of the security work in Korea, the treatment of apartment security guards is still very poor. In 2020, the Apartment Housing Management Act was revised, and management tasks such as cleaning, separation collection, and assistance in management office work were included in the tasks of apartment security guards, and management tasks were legally added in addition to security tasks because they worked in apartment houses even though they were facility security guards.
 In this study, the main problems of apartment security were the scope of work, short-term contracts, and indirect contracts, and the following improvement measures were suggested.
 First, Article 65-2 of the Apartment Housing Management Act, which applies only to apartment security guards, should be deleted, and since apartment security guards are also facility security guards, the Security Business Act should be applied to focus on the maintenance of order, crime prevention, and risk prevention, and management should be performed by management office staff. Second, in order to prevent power abuse caused by indirect employment, the amendment to the Labor Standards Act, which includes “a person who conducts and supervises considerable work content and performance process even if he is not a party to the labor contract, and a person in a position to have substantial, specific control and influence over working conditions,” should be passed and implemented as soon as possible. Third, in order to prevent short-term contracts, local governments should expand and apply subsidies for maintaining the employment of security guards. Fourth, it is necessary to revitalize the Guards Association, an organization representing the interests of guards, to cope with unreasonable treatment of guards.
 In order for Korea's private security to continue to grow, unreasonable treatment of apartment security guards should be improved.

주요 국가 자치경찰제도 사례연구와 최신동향 분석

This study analyzed the background and characteristics of the self-governing police system, the status of self-governing police operations (organization, budget, office work, etc.), the composition and role of the police committee, cases of self-governing police, and recent trends, and presented policy implications and directions for the development and efficient operation of the self-governing police system. In Korea, above all, there is a lack of organizations, manpower, office work, and financial research that can implement autonomy and accountability, so it is necessary to derive practical application plans through more detailed consideration of how the autonomous police operate in the future. However, the recent common information related to autonomous police in each country suggested that it is important to operate scientific security and civic participation in the development of information and communication technology, that is, to operate a linkage program with the community, and to establish various governance systems for crime prevention and security activities.

Review on the collection of documents: Kochetkov V.D. (Ed.) Fortresses of the cities of the Volga region and the Urals at the end of the XVII – beginning of the XVIII century; compliers Kochetkov V.D., Khatskevich M.V., Chibis A.A. Cheboksary: Novoye Vremya, 2022, 204 p.

The review analyzes the archaeographic level of work with archival handwritten texts and their content in the collection of documents «Fortresses of the cities of the Volga region and Urals at the end of the XVII – beginning of the XVIII centuries» published in 2022. This publication of sources is the result of extensive painstaking scientific work with the funds of the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts by a group of historians including V.D. Kochetkova, M.V. Khatskevich, A.A. Chibis. The cases presented in the collection are kept in the collections of the Armory Chamber. They are of particular importance for researchers studying the period of development of the Volga and Urals regions at the turn of the XVII – XVIII centuries, at the beginning of the era of the transformative activity of Peter the Great. The significance of the publication under consideration lies, first of all, in the fact that the office work of the order of the Kazan Palace, which was in charge of the indicated territories, was practically completely destroyed by fires of the early XVIII century. Up to the present day, we can talk about the so-called “source famine”, noted by most historians dealing with the initial period of development of the European South-East as part of the Russian state. It should be noted that the specialists who prepared this publication have many years of experience in studying and publishing archival materials of the second half of the XVI – XIX centuries. It is also necessary to point out their good professional training and high qualifications demonstrated when working with documents of this fund. Certain errors that can be noted in the prepared publication are not significant. They do not violate the favorable impression formed when reading this collection of documents. In general, we can conclude that its publication is a serious contribution to the further study of the Volga and Urals regions at the end of the XVII and beginning of the XVIII centuries.

ПАМЯТИ МИХАИЛА ЕВГЕНЬЕВИЧА МЕЛЬНИКОВА (12.02.1961–29.02.2016)

The article is dedicated to the memory of Mikhail Evgenievich Melnikov, an outstanding researcher of a new type of minerals – cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts (CFC) of the World Ocean. M. E. Melnikov, scientist and practitioner, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, leading geologist of the State Scientific Center “Yuzhmorgeologiya”, head of the work on the preparation of materials for submission on behalf of the Russian Federation of an Application to the International Seabed Authority (ISA, Authority) for approval of the work plan for exploration of the CFC. The work of the team headed by Mikhail Evgenievich culminated in 2015 with the conclusion between the Authority and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation of a contract for the exploration of CFC and the receipt of the exclusive right to explore polymetallic ores in the Russian exploration area of cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts (RRR–CFC), located in the western part of the Pacific ocean on the Magellan Seamounts. Melnikov M. E. headed geological exploration work in the area of the Russian exploration area of KMK, supervising offshore field and office work. The article presents biographical data, highlights the scientific achievements and personal qualities of M. E. Melnikov

Developing a Machine Learning Algorithm to Predict the Probability of Medical Staff Work Mode Using Human-Smartphone Interaction Patterns: Algorithm Development and Validation Study.

Traditional methods for investigating work hours rely on an employee's physical presence at the worksite. However, accurately identifying break times at the worksite and distinguishing remote work outside the worksite poses challenges in work hour estimations. Machine learning has the potential to differentiate between human-smartphone interactions at work and off work. In this study, we aimed to develop a novel approach called "probability in work mode," which leverages human-smartphone interaction patterns and corresponding GPS location data to estimate work hours. To capture human-smartphone interactions and GPS locations, we used the "Staff Hours" app, developed by our team, to passively and continuously record participants' screen events, including timestamps of notifications, screen on or off occurrences, and app usage patterns. Extreme gradient boosted trees were used to transform these interaction patterns into a probability, while 1-dimensional convolutional neural networks generated successive probabilities based on previous sequence probabilities. The resulting probability in work mode allowed us to discern periods of office work, off-work, breaks at the worksite, and remote work. Our study included 121 participants, contributing to a total of 5503 person-days (person-days represent the cumulative number of days across all participants on which data were collected and analyzed). The developed machine learning model exhibited an average prediction performance, measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, of 0.915 (SD 0.064). Work hours estimated using the probability in work mode (higher than 0.5) were significantly longer (mean 11.2, SD 2.8 hours per day) than the GPS-defined counterparts (mean 10.2, SD 2.3 hours per day; P<.001). This discrepancy was attributed to the higher remote work time of 111.6 (SD 106.4) minutes compared to the break time of 54.7 (SD 74.5) minutes. Our novel approach, the probability in work mode, harnessed human-smartphone interaction patterns and machine learning models to enhance the precision and accuracy of work hour investigation. By integrating human-smartphone interactions and GPS data, our method provides valuable insights into work patterns, including remote work and breaks, offering potential applications in optimizing work productivity and well-being.

Военные храмы в Российской империи начала ХХ в.: деятельность комиссии для удовлетворения религиозно-нравственных нужд войск и образцовый проект Ф. М. Вержбицкого

The beginning of the 20th century is characterized by an unprecedented intensification of the construction of regimental churches: from 1900 to 1917 more than 100 military churches were erected. First of all, this was due to the creation of a special commission on the religious and moral needs of the troops which was instructed to develop the type of military churches and to ensure that each regiment had its own stone church. An energetic protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy, Fr. Alexander Zhelobovsky and General of Infantry I.D. Tatishchev. The development of an exemplary project of a church for military officials was entrusted to a civil engineer F.M. Verzhbitsky. On April 13, 1901, the project was approved by Emperor Nicholas II. The exemplary temple was a one-nave red-brick basilica with a high hipped bell tower above the narthex, crowned with one dome and richly decorated in the spirit of uzoroch'e — architectural style of the 17th century. In total, about 69 churches were built.However, the office work of this commission has not yet been included in scientific circulation. We have found and analyzed the documents of the above-mentioned Commission, which includes extensive correspondence with the Military Ministry, the Main Engineering Directorate and the headquarters of military districts and garrison units. In addition to the petitions of priests and regiment commanders for financing construction, cover letters from protopresbyter A.A. Zhelobovsky and I.D. Tatishchev to the Engineering Department, the files contain cost estimates and construction plans from 1901 to 1908.

Entrepreneurship Curriculum In Higher Education: A Systematic Literature Review (SLR)

Entrepreneurship education at the higher education level plays an increasingly crucial role in shaping graduates who are not only ready to enter the workforce but also capable of becoming independent entrepreneurs. While many university graduates aspire to pursue careers in office jobs or work for other institutions, it is important to realize that entrepreneurial skills have a positive impact not only on individuals but also on the economy and society as a whole. In this context, entrepreneurship education in higher education becomes key to shifting the paradigm of graduates towards being more proactive and independent in creating job opportunities. Currently, many countries face challenges in creating new job opportunities and reducing unemployment rates. Therefore, introducing the concept of entrepreneurship into the higher education curriculum can be a strategic step to address these issues. Graduates with a strong understanding of entrepreneurship will not only be job seekers but also job creators. They have the potential to establish their own businesses, create new products or services, and make a positive contribution to the local and national economic development. Through entrepreneurship education, students can be equipped with practical skills, business knowledge, and a proactive attitude needed to become leaders in the business world. Moreover, it is essential to address any stigma attached to the development of entrepreneurship in higher education, where many students may be more inclined to choose conventional career paths. By recognizing the importance of entrepreneurship in creating new opportunities and enhancing competitiveness in the job market, universities can play a key role in inspiring and guiding students to explore their entrepreneurial potential. Thus, entrepreneurship education at the higher education level is not just about creating entrepreneurs; it is also about shaping individuals who have a proactive outlook on their lives and careers and the ability to adapt and thrive in a dynamic work environment. Entrepreneurship education in higher education has a significant long-term impact on shaping a more competitive and innovative future.

Документы секретного делопроизводства Совета Астраханского калмыцкого управления (1836–1848 гг.)

Introduction. In the course of the activities of the Council of the Astrakhan Kalmyk Administration, which carried out the administrative management of Kalmykia in the period from 1836 to 1848, the documents were created for general office work and for secret ones as well. In the archival fund I-3 “Council of the Astrakhan Kalmyk Administration” of the National Archive of the Republic of Kalmykia, three files containing “secret cases” have been preserved; their study will make it possible to analyze and determine the nature of the issues considered in secret records management. The purpose of the article is to study archival documents classified as “secret” related to fund I-3 “Council of the Astrakhan Kalmyk Administration”, to explore the peculiarities of conducting secret office work in pre-revolutionary Kalmykia as well as to introduce newly identified archival documents into scientific circulation. Results. Documents created during the activities of the Kalmyk Administration Council and containing “secret” information are unique sources for studying the issues of organizing work with documents of a secret nature in one of the outskirts of pre-revolutionary Russia.

Practical Exploration of Eco-Geological Survey Mapping in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau: Framework, Standard and Preliminary Cost Estimation

It is a common responsibility of all countries to protect the ecological environment and promote sustainable development. Eco-geology, which provides a basic guarantee for the rational utilization of natural resources, ecological protection and restoration, has gradually become a new hot spot of geological survey institutions in various countries. Eco-geological survey in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau plays an important role in regional ecological protection and global change research. Setting up workable budgets symbolizes the competence of geological survey organizations in fulfilling their responsibilities, and unreliable cost estimates can cause economic and political complications. The unclear scope definition and scarcity of project information available at early stages make it hard to generate reliable preliminary cost estimates. Hence, based on historical data and the practical experience of scientists who have been engaged in eco-geological survey in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau for a long time, this research aimed to develop a cost estimation model using statistical learning methods for geological survey organizations to forecast preliminary costs during the early stages of an eco-geological survey project to fulfill different cost control and managerial functions. This research makes full use of modern remote sensing technology and reasonably arranges the input of ground survey, drilling, geophysical exploration and other workloads, supplemented by the existing ecological monitoring station data. It comprehensively sorts out the work means and workload of field and office work needed to complete the map work, and it puts forward a consistent index system and preliminary cost calculation framework. On this basis, based on the principle of matching quantity and price, a reasonable budget standard or market price is selected to calculate the budget estimate of a single map sheet, and then, through the regional adjustment coefficient, the budget estimate of a map sheet covering the whole Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is extended and calculated. The budget estimate will provide effective support for the declaration of eco-geological survey projects in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and the calculation of the scale of project funds so as to ensure the smooth development of eco-geological surveying in the region.

До питання мовної політики та мовного планування на Закарпатті в період першої Чехословацької Республіки

Issues of language policy and language planning in Transcarpathia during the first Czechoslovak Republic The concepts of state language, official language, and minority language do not have a generally accepted definition in international law. In Central and Eastern Europe, the state language is usually the language of the majority of the population of a particular country, in which it also serves as the official language. In interwar Czechoslovakia, the 1920 Language Law allowed the use of the language of the Slavic population, which constituted the absolute majority in the territory of Transcarpathia, as the official language in administration, office work, culture and education, granting the region's Slavs a greater degree of political, cultural and linguistic autonomy than they had ever enjoyed. But this linguistic freedom also brought practical problems to the surface. First of all, during this period there were three standard versions of the language adopted as the official language of the region. This article analyses the attitudes of the state and local intellectuals towards these language variants. Keywords: language policy, language planning, official language, language variants, Transcarpathia, the period between the two world wars

Work-life balance of university teachers after two years of telework during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: Apart from being a topic of key interest during the last decades for its individual and organizational effectiveness, work-life balance also has specific implications during the period of imposed remote work. OBJECTIVE: The article outlines some of the antecedents of university teachers’ work-life balance. They were the only professionals teleworking during the whole period of imposed restriction and furthermore, university teachers are a group of professionals without any prior home office or remote work experience. METHODS: The cross-sectional study comprises randomized convenient sample of 708 university teachers who were administered an online instrument, measuring the constructs of work-life balance, perceived stress, burnout, job satisfaction, general health, general fears and anxiety, and satisfaction with personal relations. RESULTS: The results reveal that perceived stress, burnout, job satisfaction, physical and mental health, psychosomatic problems and quality of relations are antecedents of participants’ work-life balance. CONCLUSIONS: University teachers have adapted to the new working mode and succeeded in maintaining moderate levels of work-life balance and burnout. However, our findings outline the need of a robust comprehensive framework, accounting for the multiple and multi-level predictors of work-life balance. Future research and HR perspectives have been outlined.

The effects of dual screen layout on neck-shoulder muscle activity and head-neck posture variability during computer tasks.

Larger dual screens have been widely used during office work and their biomechanical exposure should be explored. To investigate the biomechanical effect of two dual screen layouts on neck-shoulder muscle activity and the variability of head-neck posture in computer users. A preliminary study of the user-preferred dual screen angles was carried out in V-shaped and L-shaped layouts. Twenty healthy participants aged 19 to 26 years were recruited and assigned to perform reading, typing, and searching tasks for 30 minutes in both workstation layouts. Electromyography was measured at bilateral cervical erector spinae (CES), sternocleidomastoid (SCM), and upper trapezius (UT). The head-neck lateral bending, rotation, and flexion angles were recorded. The visual analog scale (VAS) was used to evaluate visual strain. The muscle activity at the left UT and right CES sites when using the V-shaped layout was significantly higher than the L-shaped. There were significant differences in head-neck rotation and flexion angles between the two layouts in reading and typing tasks. In the searching task, there was no significant difference in the head-neck rotation and flexion angles between the two layouts. The visual strain score was significantly higher in the V-shaped layout. The CES and UT muscles displayed higher levels of activation while using the V-shaped layout in comparison to the L-shaped layout. The head-neck rotation and flexion angles differed due to varied types of work when using V-shaped and L-shaped layouts.

&lt;b&gt;The Moderating Role of Work Engagement in the Relationship of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder with Employees’ Outcomes&lt;/b&gt;

The present study states that work engagement acts as a moderator between the relationship of employees’ attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and employees’ outcomes in a way that this negative relationship will be weak when work engagement is high. The study has been supported by, validates, and stresses the attentional control theory. Primary data has been collected to conduct the study. The population of the study is comprised of employees from different public and private institutes of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Wah-Cantt (cities of Pakistan), while different banking, manufacturing, education, and service sectors (office work) have been covered. 259 questionnaires out of 300 have been collected back due to non-response issues. The study variables i.e., employees’ ADHD, work engagement, in-role performance, organizational citizenship behavior, and job satisfaction have been measured through a self-report questionnaire. ADHD has been measured by an 18-items adult ADHD self-report scale (ASRS-v1.1) symptom checklist by Adler, Kessler, and Spencer (2003). The data has been analyzed through regression and moderation analyses. Each one of the nine hypotheses of the study has been supported. The study concluded in the realization that when work engagement of employees with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder increases by providing them with certain additional resources, it weakens the negative relationship between employees’ attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and employees’ outcomes.

The outdoor office: a pilot study of environmental qualities, experiences of office workers, and work-related well-being.

Outdoor office work is an emerging aspect of the concept of 'new ways of working', but only sparse data are available about the environmental qualities of the outdoor office space, experiences of office workers, and work-related well-being of outdoor office work. Here, we present an exploratory pilot study on well-being and outdoor office work in a public urban space. An outdoor office was set up in the courtyard of a university campus, and the participants (n = 16) conducted office work outdoors for 30 min and thereafter participated in an eye-tracking session for 11-15 min (n = 8) and subsequently filled out surveys (n = 16). The eye tracker allowed the discovery of natural and built elements in the outdoor environment that caught the participants' visual attention, whereas the surveys assessed aspects of their subjective experiences of the outdoor office space (its visual and spatial qualities) and the work there. The results are presented as network graphs where correlations are shown regarding different aspects of office work outdoors. The results indicate that outdoor office work in a public urban space may promote work-related well-being in terms of positive outdoor office space experiences. Based on the findings, a preliminary set of outdoor office qualities is proposed. Those qualities relate to the legibility and imageability of the outdoor office space, its focal points, and depth/spaciousness, in addition to attributes of usability and environmental richness, including if the outdoor office space affords natural contact and supports activities, in addition to social and individual interactions and relations.

Performance of People Representative Supervision of Basic Health Services in Sinjai Regency

This research aims to determine the performance of DPRD (Regional People's Representative Assembly) supervision of basic health services in Sinjai Regency. The method used in this research is qualitative method. The results of the research show that the performance of the DPRD's supervision of basic health services in Sinjai Regency is to carry out monitoring and feedback to the DPRD in the form of direct monitoring, questioning the reasons or inhibiting and supporting factors so that the Health Office's work program has not gone well once in September 2020 regarding the realization of the budget which had delayed at several Community Health Centers, especially the problem of stunting and Covid-19, then indirect monitoring was carried out regarding slow BPJS services.

Kreditnaya i finansovaya politika vlastej v agrarnoj sfere ekonomiki Vologodskogo kraya v 1920-e gg.

The article discusses the development of the agrarian sector of the economy of the Vologda province in the 1920s. The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of the financial policy of the authorities and the credit policy of banking institutions on the process of restoration and the functioning of agriculture in the region. To solve the problems of the study, legislative, office work, statistical sources, as well as materials from the periodical press were used.

Workers' Compensation: The Burden on Healthcare Resource Utilization After Foot and Ankle Surgery.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the amount of healthcare resources dedicated to patients with WC after common foot or ankle procedures compared with a procedure-matched control group. A retrospective review was performed of patients with WC and without WC undergoing foot and ankle procedures. Measures of healthcare burden included clinical communications, documents, prescriptions, office visits, and days to return to work and clinic discharge. Collectively, 142 patients met the inclusion criteria. Patients with workers' compensation had increased office communication encounters (P < 0.001), processed documents (P < 0.001), medication prescriptions (P < 0.001), number of office visits (P < 0.001), number of days until return to work (P < 0.001), and days until final disposition from clinic (P < 0.001). Patients with workers' compensation were more likely to have postoperative complications (OR 2.1; 95% CI, 1.0 to 4.3; P = 0.04), secondary surgeries (OR 8.2; 95% CI, 2.3 to 29.4; P < 0.001), and new complaints during the perioperative period (OR 1.9; 95% CI, 0.9 to 4.0; P = 0.07) but were less likely to cancel appointments (OR 0.41; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.86; P = 0.02). When undergoing common foot and ankle orthopaedic procedures, patients with WC demonstrated increased healthcare utilization of resources. This included more office staff work burden dedicated to patients with WC for longer amounts of time, effectively doubling the effort of a non-WC cohort.

After the pandemic: Contemplating the future of central office buildings

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the nature of office work. The main driver is remote work, a concept theorised for years, but upon its arrival has become a significant disruptor of commercial real estate. Buildings and the city cores they occupy in large urban centres have hollowed out. Large organisations, still tied to long-term leases, try shedding space to adapt. As they do, cities reliant on property tax revenues find themselves at odds with institutional landlords over asset values. The upheavals unfolding in the industry, particularly in the office sector, are enough for prominent media organisations to declare downtown office buildings dead. But are they? By analysing quantitative and qualitative data and evidence from high-profile organisations, it becomes apparent that although building occupancy may not be what it was prior to the pandemic, indicators point to a macroeconomic reset where the steady rise in occupancy will establish a new equilibrium, probably not too different from what it looked like pre-pandemic. Along the way, a new industry metric, the Idle Space Index (ISI) is introduced to define an interrelationship between occupancy and vacancy rates, which can greatly assist strategic space planning. In the medium term, chaos will reign supreme, as corporate real estate (CRE) executives try to engage in longer-term planning. Building assessments will remain a contentious issue until that new equilibrium is established, but for an industry described as being on its last legs, it seems there is plenty of life left.